


The Dare

by cheshireArcher



Category: Richard II - Shakespeare
Genre: Being forced into kissing, Humiliation, Mutual Non-Con, Neither want it, Nonconsensual kissing, Not rape just forced to kiss someone, Other, dares, how do I even tag this, mutual dubcon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 13:33:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8058304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheshireArcher/pseuds/cheshireArcher
Summary: Percy never could turn down a dare. Even if it was something he didn't want to do.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Content warning- Mutually nonconsensual kissing on a dare. Since it's not rape or technically molestation I didn't select that content warning and I think it should be obvious from the tags. If you think it is, please tell me and I will file it accordingly. I've changed the ages of the characters so Edward is closer in age to Hotspur. And yes I know about homosocial behavior in the Middle Ages cut me some slack.
> 
> Based on a conversation with my friend You Know who You Are.
> 
> If I can figure out an ending to this, I'll add a second chapter but for now this is it.

It was all done on a dare. Percy could never refuse one- even as a child he had his honor and reputation to uphold, even if it meant doing stupid things- well, stupid to any sane person, which he certainly wasn't.

That day, the children of the nobles were playing on the grounds around Windsor, where the King was holding a tournament. 

"C'mon Percy," Bagot taunted. "You wanna prove you're not a coward?"

"Ah'm not a coward," Percy snarled, his thick Northumbrian accent out of place at Windsor. The white-blond boy was small but always up for a challenge or more commonly a straight-up brawl. He'd make a good knight in time.

"Prove it!" Green, one of Bagot's friends, said with a mean grin. 

"Ah'll do anything!" Percy shouted. "W-what do you w-want, you lousy mingers? Ah'll fight you all!"

"'W-what do you w-want?'" Greene imitated. Bushy, Bagot, and Green were Prince Richard's Posse, they followed him wherever he went and were as annoying as hell in Percy's opinion. All three were weak, poncy, effeminate things who certainly weren't a good influence on Richard, son of the Prince of Wales and grandson of the King. They were just… slimy caterpillars. Something gross and boneless that Percy didn't like.

The three other boys huddled together, whispering something. Bushy looked around and saw Edward, York's son. "Oh, hey, Edward!" He called. "Come here anon." 

Edward, a nervous boy a few years younger than Percy, obeyed. He was one of Richard's cousins, and perhaps the one the prince liked the most. He was dark haired, slightly squishy, and had about him an air of confused innocence. 

“You wanna prove it?” Bagot sneered. “You said anything?”

Percy wasn't paying attention and hadn't fully noticed Edward was now somehow involved. “Anything!”

Bagot took Edward by the shoulder and thrust him at Percy. “I dare you to kiss him!” 

Percy stared blankly at Bagot and Edward. Edward’s face contorted into fear. 

“No! Ah’m not going t’ kiss him! W-what does that prove?” 

“So you WON'T do anything to prove yourself?” Bushy grinned. “What, afraid that York will find out? Or your father? And punish you?” 

“Ah’m not afraid!” Percy shouted. “It's just stupid.”

“Well, I suppose you're just not up to a DARE, Percy,” Bagot said dismissively. “You're just not brave enough… I wouldn't think it'd be too hard.” He sneered at Edward. “Besides, he might like it!” 

Edward stared at Bagot in horror. 

“You afraid to kiss a boy, Percy?” Green taunted. “That it'll make you unmanly?”

Percy couldn't take it. He stormed over to Edward and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders, yanking the younger boy to him and crushing his lips with his. He barely heard the goading from the other boys to make it long and sloppy. Edward didn't struggle, he was frozen in fear. The child choked back a sob. Percy felt like he was suffocating but he kept at it. Finally, after a long, horrible moment, he pulled away and released Edward. 

Edward was crying now. Percy had grabbed him so roughly he still felt it. His lips had hurt, he had felt like he was never going to breathe again, and he had been terrified. The other boys were laughing hysterically at the scene- they had thoroughly enjoyed humiliating the heirs of York and Northumberland. Percy was gagging and Edward was sobbing.

Percy didn't like it either. He had never kissed anyone and this was a horrible way to start. He wiped the spit from his face and ignored the jeering. He hadn't wanted to do it and now he felt like he’d broken some chivalric code and violated another child, all while forced to do it. He stormed away, sorry he had done it but not sure how to express it. Edward ran away, to his cousin Kate Mortimer, who had been some yards away reading and had seen everything and heard nothing. Richard, who had no idea what had transpired, ran to the sobbing wreck that was Edward to comfort him. 

Percy wanted to cry too. He was just a child. Stupid, but still a child.

Years later, the two boys would get much practice in kissing, Percy with Kate; and Edward with Richard. But for now this was a nightmare and the bitter memory left a bad taste in their mouths and nearly destroyed their friendship, and the love the two boys would later receive.

All on a dare.


End file.
